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BFFsis one of those comedy films that strikes a memorable balance between crazy and predictable, the story of two female friends who fake a lesbian relationship in order to attend a couples weekend spa getaway. The genius of the movie comes from its cast, a group of lesser-known comic actors who bring the lunacy and the desired outcome into simultaneous fruition. It’s not a profound film, but it’s not crazy at this point to predict it will be a festival fave.

The film’s casting in the film is brilliant. Did the story grow out of the actors you used or was it a long difficult search for the right people to fit the script?

That started with Tara [Karsian] and Andrea [Grano], who not only wrote and produced the film, but star as Kat and Sam. I’m still not sure how they handled all of that responsibility, but I’m sure there was drinking involved. At least, I hope so. The casting was really a team effort. Tara, Andrea, and I worked closely with our casting directors Greg Orson and Joanna Davis to audition several dozen actors for the roles. We wanted to be sure that each couple who were cast had the right chemistry with each other and felt unique in the larger group. I had worked with some of the cast previously but I think we were incredibly lucky to have the right people on board. Nobody was there for the money — they were all there to be a part of the film.

It feels like it was based on something that actually happened. Is that true?

I think the reason it feels so genuine is because Tara and Andrea have been BFFs for more than decade. While the story is fiction, their friendship is real. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the number of people who have seen the film and told me how relatable it is. They know people in their own lives who remind them of the characters on screen, or they’ve been through something similar. I’m happy that the story resonates.

Conversely, the film seems comfortably predictable (in a good way), a cleverly constructed genre movie. Was it writing or spritely direction that keeps the film so enjoyable?

While I’d love to take all of the credit for the film being enjoyable, I think the reason it works is because of the script that Tara and Andrea wrote. That and the fact that we had such a good time making the film, which I believe comes across when watching it.

Is this its first screening?

Santa Barbara is our world premiere, and we’re thrilled. This feels like the right place. We’re waiting to hear back from some upcoming festivals and hope that we have an opportunity to bring the film to audiences around the world.